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Leonard Segel: Rule of law should apply to civic area

Posted:
03/21/2016 07:20:20 PM MDT

The protection of the Glen Huntington Bandshell in Central Park is an issue that goes to the heart of the rule of law in Boulder. It's without question that the band shell is a symbolic and official landmark in our town. It has architectural, historic and cultural credentials. But that doesn't seem to deter members of the current City Council, the city manager and planning staff, who would make it "go away" in the name of urban renewal.

We all want our civic area to be vital in how it serves the community. What do the new plans show for this area that would require the city to get rid of the band shell and violate the preservation ordinance? They show a couple short bike paths, a wider Canyon Boulevard and some more trees. How inconvenient for the city leaders to have to deal with an official historic landmark!

Dwight Eisenhower said, "The clearest way to show what the rule of law means to us in everyday life is to recall what has happened when there is no rule of law." Without this ordinance, many of the historic buildings that enrich Boulder would have been destroyed, losing much of the character of our town. Demolishing or moving the band shell is a violation of the historic preservation ordinance. A key aspect of the legitimacy of a historic landmark is the context in which it is located. The band shell was built during the Great Depression and specifically designed to be sited at the crossroads of Boulder as a symbol of culture and progressive ideals.

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Imagine how diminished Central Park would have been if the band shell had not been there these past 78 years. Think how great the park can be if the city followed its own laws, embraced the band shell and revitalized its use!

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